Registered: Jun 2010
Location: Marion, Indiana
Posts: 4280

Hello, I hope everyone is having a great season.
Some of you may know me, many of you may not know me... yet. I own Banshee Wildlife Products and make the BANSHEE coon squaller. I also have a few other products in development for houndsmen and hunters. I am currently in the development and testing stage on a new aftermarket antenna system for the Garmin tracking system. My system consists of a new type of antenna for both the collar and the handheld unit.
I know there are several aftermarket antennas out there for the collars and some of the claims made by those who sell them sound very good...but are a little hard to believe.
That's why I would like to ask the real world hound hunters out there who hunt in real world conditions what kind of performance and range you are getting out of the type of antenna you are using. I know the terrain varies a great deal across the country so if you do respond to this post, please try to give the following information....
1. what brand or type of antenna?
2. what model of garmin system are you using?
3. what type of terrain do you hunt...flat, rolling, hilly, mountains, swamps, etc?
4. what kind of actual range do you really get on a consistent basis? (what can you count on most of the time?) at what distance does the ? mark pop up because you have lost the comm. signal?
5. how much of an increase in distance did you actually see after you replaced your original garmin antenna with an aftermarket antenna?
6. Finally, what distance would you really be satisfied with that could be consistently attained using your garmin under real world conditions...remember I said consistently. (please don't say as much as you can get)
I would like to thank everyone who responds to this and please be honest and as accurate as possible. This information could help to produce a product that could help us all and maybe save a few dogs someday
Shane

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Shane Maxey
Proud lifetime member of the NRA
Banshee Wildlife Products
Hoosier Outlaw / Moonlight Redbones
1994 American Redbone Coonhound Association Hunter of the Year
My first 3 redbones raised from pup's were:
Dual Gr.Ch. Outlaw Billy the Kid
Dual Gr.Ch.- PKC Ch. Outlaw Timber Girl
Dual Gr.Ch. Outlaw Scarlett Fever
(((( Current Favorites ))))
2013 AKC Ladies World Champion
Gr.Nt.Ch.- PKC Ch- AKC Ladies World Ch Ky Moonlight Breanna
Gr.Nt.Ch. - PKC Ch. Ky Moonlight Woody
Dual Grand Moonlight Deana
Dual Grand Ch.- PKC Ch. Moonlight AfterShock
Dual Grand Nighty Night Amber
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Big Time Britt
Gr.Nt.Ch Outlaw Billy Jean
Gr.Nt.Ch-PKC Ch.-2015 PKC Red Days Champ Outlaw Cherry Bomb
Gr.Nt.Ch Outlaw Breeze
Gr.Nt.Ch.Gr.Ch. All Grand Outlaw G-Man (over $20.000 won in PKC & CHKC) 2019 Southern Redbone Days Overall Champion
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Outlaw Mac
Gr.Nt.Ch. Classy Cali (Heavy Outlaw bred)
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Cat Scratch Fever
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Addiction
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Overdose
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Jinx
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Banshee
"Always outnumbered...Never outgunned!"
To enjoy lots of pics and videos of out redbones, find me on Facebook
as Shenandoah Maxey

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Registered: Mar 2005
Location: Thomaston,GA
Posts: 3698

1. what brand or type of antenna? Factory on the reciever Tuff Skin on DC-40

2. what model of garmin system are you using? Astro 220 w/DC-40

3. what type of terrain do you hunt...flat, rolling, hilly, mountains, swamps, etc? rolling hills mostly

4. what kind of actual range do you really get on a consistent basis? (what can you count on most of the time?) at what distance does the ? mark pop up because you have lost the comm. signal? 1000 yards give or take

5. how much of an increase in distance did you actually see after you replaced your original garmin antenna with an aftermarket antenna? None

6. Finally, what distance would you really be satisfied with that could be consistently attained using your garmin under real world conditions. 1.5 miles consistently would be great.

1000 yards +/- works pretty good for me, normally at that distance I'm pulling around to get closer anyway. I upgraded to the Tuff Skin because the factory antenna broke and that was what my supply guy had. I don't see any more range out of it than the factory antenna.

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GRCH GRNITECH"PR" Blue Iron Brummy HTX

Top 100 Finalist 2012 UKC World Hunt.

King of Hunt 2013 BBOA National Bluetick Days

Tree Blue

I use and recommend Backwoods Supplies

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Registered: Apr 2011
Location: in a van, down by the river.
Posts: 74

1. Long Range from Conkeys
2. 220 and a DC40 w/ TuffSkin (Latest Updates)
3. Hilly, Mountains, Swamps
4. I can Count on 6-700 yards most of the time, Depending on the hills I will lose contact a 400 or so for just a few seconds.
5. Noticed a major Difference, espesially with the DC40.
6. If I could get 1000 yrds with no loss of communication in the mountains Id be fine.

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Anderson co Tennessee
Posts: 1944

1.220 Telescoptic antenia
2. collars antenia after market approx 18 to24 inches long ((( guess
yards most common 6 to 7 hundred
terain straight up and down
imo havent seen big diff warrents money spent on after market equiptment looks like garmin needs to adjust something lol

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Country Boy Can Survive



Anderson County Coon Club
Lance White
865-919-7234

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Registered: Jun 2005
Location: Prince Edward Island,Canada
Posts: 4589

1. After Market Antenna on the handheld. Orignal on the collars
2. Astro 220 with DC 30s
3. fairly flat land in thick brush /swamps
4. 500 - 800 yrds before the ? comes up off and on
5. Didnt use the orignal antenna more than a nite or two, cant remember the distance but it wasnt as good as the after market antenna was getting
6.Most times the distance that I can get before I completly loose the dogs is fine, would be nice to get 1000 yrds without getting a ? mark before that

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Autumn Clements

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Registered: Sep 2011
Location: indiana
Posts: 236

telescopic antenna on 220. longer antenna on dc30
patch woods and hilly river bottoms.
was getting no more then 800 yards with the orginal antennas
can consistly get over a mile now. had a dog at 1.20 mi. the other night and had 3 bars left the garmin. im pretty satisfied with that.

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: milan,mi
Posts: 1379

all original dc 30
flat to gentle rolling terrain
800 - 900 consistently range then the past week 1to1.2 miles without touching or changing anything go figure???

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Registered: Jun 2010
Location: Harman WV
Posts: 29

I am using the rubber duck antenna on my garmin.

I am using the 220 with DC30s, one with garmin antenna one with tuff-skin antenna.

I hunt steep rocky mountains covered with laurel.

If I stay in one place from where I turn loose usually .8 mile sometimes up to 1.3 mile. We have a lot of roads to drive so I can usually stay in distance of my hounds.

I've only used the garmin long range and can see .3 - .5 extra distance. There is no difference in the tuff-skin compared to the garmin I only replaced it because it got chewed off by a puppy in the box.

I'm fairly satisfied with what I am getting, but an increase to 1.5-1.8 would be better.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Troy Iowa
Posts: 2159

With the original short rubber duck antenna, I will loose signal around .9 mile. I got an extended flexable antenna from coondogless and it bumped up to 1.3 to 1.5. When Garmin sent me their similar antenna when I was testing the 320 before they went public, I saw about the same range with it. I have a magnet mount that gives me about a 3 mile range, but very seldom use it now, as the mile and a half is good for me 98% of the time. A vendor gave me a collar antenna to try at the zone finals. It is quite a bit longer than the stock one. I notice some extra range, but not a whole significant amount. The extra length does seem awkward, as sometimes it hangs way out from the dog. I am not seeing enough difference to swap out my other collars.

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Registered: Sep 2004
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 2461

I have the 220 with factory antennae and dc 30's with Tuff-Skin antennaes.

rolling terrain

900+ yards dependable range.

When I first got the system, I hung a collar in a tree about eye level then drove around to see what kind of range it had. Max was just over 2 miles and that was from hilltop to hilltop.

before the tuff-skin I consistently dropped them at about 600-700 yards so I did notice a difference there.

I'd be happy if I could get 1 mile range all night, every night.

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Lone Pine North

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Registered: May 2008
Location: Gillett, Pa
Posts: 1861

factory ant. 8-900 yards have reached to 2.4 miles on top of mountain it's all about line of sight getting to a spot that oversees area your looking in garmin will not go around mountains or look through them lol

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: missouri
Posts: 270

Mr. Maxey,
I won one of your new antennas at the Autumn In Indiana Hunt in Marion a couple weeks ago when I came up from Missouri and hunted with my friend Mike Raef.

I'm very impressed with your products.

While hunting with a friend back in Missouri, he starting losing communication at .8 with his totally original Garmin/DC30 and my exact same unit other than your antenna gave a constant reading at 1.3 in small rolling hills and medium cover.
I'm sold ...... now I want to know about that spotlight you carry. Love to get my hands on one!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

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Harry Harris

636 577-7070

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Registered: Jun 2010
Location: Marion, Indiana
Posts: 4280

quote:

---

Originally posted by harry harris
Mr. Maxey,
I won one of your new antennas at the Autumn In Indiana Hunt in Marion a couple weeks ago when I came up from Missouri and hunted with my friend Mike Raef.

I'm very impressed with your products.

While hunting with a friend back in Missouri, he starting losing communication at .8 with his totally original Garmin/DC30 and my exact same unit other than your antenna gave a constant reading at 1.3 in small rolling hills and medium cover.
I'm sold ...... now I want to know about that spotlight you carry. Love to get my hands on one!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

---

Thanks for the post Harry, It was great to meet you at that hunt. The antenna you have is really a pre production prototype and they do improve the range over the original garmin collar antenna. The real key to increasing the range seems to be the use of a combination collar and hand held unit antenna. I have put quite a few of the collar antennas out across the country for testing but have not released any of the experimental hand held unit antennas yet. They are made using a proprietary process and materials that I am trying to protect at this time. When used in combination, these antennas have shown they are able to triple the range of the factory supplied antennas from Garmin. I was glad to donate some prototype collar antennas to the winners of the hunt at my club and I hope they serve those who won them well....but the other half of this system will increase the results and will, I think....meet the needs of most hunters using the Garmin system so stay tuned
P.S.... The spotlight is top secret for now......but it's coming down the pike!
Thanks for posting....Shane

__________________
Shane Maxey
Proud lifetime member of the NRA
Banshee Wildlife Products
Hoosier Outlaw / Moonlight Redbones
1994 American Redbone Coonhound Association Hunter of the Year
My first 3 redbones raised from pup's were:
Dual Gr.Ch. Outlaw Billy the Kid
Dual Gr.Ch.- PKC Ch. Outlaw Timber Girl
Dual Gr.Ch. Outlaw Scarlett Fever
(((( Current Favorites ))))
2013 AKC Ladies World Champion
Gr.Nt.Ch.- PKC Ch- AKC Ladies World Ch Ky Moonlight Breanna
Gr.Nt.Ch. - PKC Ch. Ky Moonlight Woody
Dual Grand Moonlight Deana
Dual Grand Ch.- PKC Ch. Moonlight AfterShock
Dual Grand Nighty Night Amber
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Big Time Britt
Gr.Nt.Ch Outlaw Billy Jean
Gr.Nt.Ch-PKC Ch.-2015 PKC Red Days Champ Outlaw Cherry Bomb
Gr.Nt.Ch Outlaw Breeze
Gr.Nt.Ch.Gr.Ch. All Grand Outlaw G-Man (over $20.000 won in PKC & CHKC) 2019 Southern Redbone Days Overall Champion
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Outlaw Mac
Gr.Nt.Ch. Classy Cali (Heavy Outlaw bred)
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Cat Scratch Fever
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Addiction
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Overdose
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Jinx
Gr.Nt.Ch. Moonlight Banshee
"Always outnumbered...Never outgunned!"
To enjoy lots of pics and videos of out redbones, find me on Facebook
as Shenandoah Maxey

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Registered: Mar 2008
Location: Richwood, Ohio
Posts: 137

Gamin 220 Standard Ant.
Collars Long Range Antenna from Valley Creek
1.2 mile range in Flat Flat country.
The factory ant on the handheld is bent from carrying in my pouch on my
light. The long range antenna on my collar I worry about longevity because it is so long and seems to catch everything.

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Registered: May 2011
Location: MONROE,N.C.
Posts: 11

exact same thing as blue iron,except im using dc30

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: N.E. Arkansas
Posts: 1042

Flat land and river bottoms. Standard Garmin issue. 800-850 yards, summer hunting. 850-1000 yards, winter hunting. 1.5-2 miles would be real nice.

Do you have an estimated price on your prototypes yet?

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Pine Hill Kennels
Loyd McIntire

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: missouri
Posts: 270

WHAT SPOTLIGHT??????????????



sorry

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Harry Harris

636 577-7070

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Anderson co Tennessee
Posts: 1944

P.S.... The spotlight is top secret for now......but it's coming down the pike!
Thanks for posting....Shane

ok shane fess up lol

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Country Boy Can Survive



Anderson County Coon Club
Lance White
865-919-7234

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Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Burlington, CT
Posts: 1758

Shane,

I'm using the Astro 220 with the telescoping antennae sold by Valley Creek, which may be a Garmin product. I have two collars, both DC30s, and have struggled with repeatable range, and have never seen what many claim on this board. So... a few weeks ago I made a new antenna for one of the collars. It's a 5/32" steel braid, 20 inches long. I used the same small eyelet connector on the end as the factory antenna, and soldered both ends to ensure I don't get any fraying. Then I used a simple shrink tube over the whole length. This appeard to be very similar to what is being marketted as a long-range antenna for the DC-30s, but maybe I missed something.

I fully charged both collars and hung them both on my lamp post about five feet off the ground. I then drove straight down the road, which is flat, and lost comms to both collars at 1.1 miles.

Now... 1.1 miles would be plenty of range around here, as you well know there's not a lot of sections that don't have a road about every half mile to a mile. But I rarely see that in standard hunting conditions, with trees between me and the collars, dogs going up and down creek bottoms, and a heavy canopy in the Summer time. So on average, I'm lucky to see 500-700 yards without lost signal, which I beleive can and should be improved. So good luck!

David Schmidt

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Registered: Nov 2005
Location: New Market Va
Posts: 4670

This Co. makes a Wide range of Signal Amplifiers that are actualy very small 1-1/4"sq. and only uses 45 ml amps of 12v DC whish again is a very small Battery.. This would be the only way to Boost the wattage out of the Collars ..
This is a Low Noise Amp
http://www.rfcomp.com/download/prod...D24396specs.pdf

I'am sure they could make a Frequency Amp. that would work !!
http://www.rfcomp.com/lowpoweramplifier.aspx

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Steve Morrow "Saltlick Majestic's"
"Never Have Hounds Or Kids And You Won't Get Your Heart Broke"!!

540-421-2875

PR, Saltlick's Blue Misty Linga "Bluetick Coonhound"

French X American Hounds

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Registered: Nov 2005
Location: New Market Va
Posts: 4670

Now If you could Hang 30 volts around your hounds neck, and Find Room For this linear .... Well You Could just about Track you Hound from the Moon ... LOL

The HD29347 is a 10W, Class A linear amplifier
module for the 1MHz to 1025MHz band. It offers
superior performance with high gain and power in a
small module footprint using advanced broadband
matching techniques and the finest gold MOSFET
transistors available on the market today. Matched
for 50 ohms input and output, the HD29347 provides
a typical 10watts P1dB making this the natural choice
for your ultra broadband application.

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Steve Morrow "Saltlick Majestic's"
"Never Have Hounds Or Kids And You Won't Get Your Heart Broke"!!

540-421-2875

PR, Saltlick's Blue Misty Linga "Bluetick Coonhound"

French X American Hounds

Last edited by Majestic Tree H on 11-20-2011 at 04:42 PM

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Registered: Aug 2011
Location: Fort Valley, GA
Posts: 397

1.stock antena
2.220, dc30
3.swamps, hilly in spots
4.cuts out around 5-700, very rarely get 900
5.wish it would get at least pick up at 1500-1800 yards.

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: East central Illinois.
Posts: 1702

1. what brand or type of antenna? Bruce Conkey fold down telescopic antenna( Is always on my astro220)
2. what model of garmin system are you using? Asro220/dc30 with factory antenna.
3. what type of terrain do you hunt...flat, rolling, hilly, mountains, swamps, etc? Hills, hollars, creek bottoms, flat. ( no mountains).
4. what kind of actual range do you really get on a consistent basis? 3/4 of a mile. At what distance does the ? mark pop up because you have lost the comm. signal? 3/4 mile to 2.4 miles.
5. how much of an increase in distance did you actually see after you replaced your original garmin antenna with an aftermarket antenna? Folding Conkey added 1/2 mile constant and 1.5 intermitent.

6. Finally, what distance would you really be satisfied with that could be consistently attained using your garmin under real world conditions...remember I said consistently. Pretty satisfied now, works good here. I might like a magnet mount at the truck if it adds an extra mile or 2.

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Elbridge Redbones
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Registered: Sep 2004
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 2461

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lone Pine JB
I have the 220 with factory antennae and dc 30's with Tuff-Skin antennaes.

rolling terrain

900+ yards dependable range.

When I first got the system, I hung a collar in a tree about eye level then drove around to see what kind of range it had. Max was just over 2 miles and that was from hilltop to hilltop.

before the tuff-skin I consistently dropped them at about 600-700 yards so I did notice a difference there.

I'd be happy if I could get 1 mile range all night, every night.

---

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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Lone Pine North

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Registered: Aug 2003
Location:
Posts: 375

Shane, I'm about to do an honest 7 wks of hunting while working out of town. I'm willing to test it out on my dime. (513) 284-5028.

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